Mexican president vows U.S. agreements "without subordination"
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Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum delivers her first State of the Nation Address at Palacio Nacional in Mexico City on September 1, 2025. Photo: Uri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a stern warning on Monday to the Trump administration that Mexico is willing to enter security agreements with the U.S. around immigration and fighting cartels, but "without subordination."
Why it matters: Sheinbaum is facing pressure from President Trump amid his increasingly changing and erratic demands to battle drug cartels while holding the threat of tariffs over Mexico.
The big picture: Sheinbaum's first State of the Union, held on Monday, came after reports that Trump secretly ordered the Pentagon to explore military strikes on cartels inside Mexican territory — news that outraged Mexicans nationwide.
- Since Trump has taken office, Sheinbaum has earned praise for how she's handled her U.S. counterpart as the neighbor to the north embarks on mass deportations and has demanded that Latin American nations help halt migration.
Zoom in: Sheinbaum told the nation in her address that Mexico isn't alone in responding to possible new tariffs established by the Trump administration.
- "Mexico is the country with the lowest average tariff percentage in the world, and we continue to work with the various state ministries of our neighboring country," she said.
- She said the two sides are close to a framework for the trade agreement, and Mexico will host Secretary of State Marco Rubio later this week.
- "We have made it clear that the basis of this understanding is shared responsibility, mutual trust, respect for sovereignty and territoriality, and cooperation without subordination," she said.
State of play: The U.S. needs cooperation from Mexico on accepting migrants and fighting drug cartels, something Trump has even credited Sheinbaum for doing.
- Last month, Mexico extradited 26 suspected high-ranking drug traffickers to the U.S. — including several linked to groups the Trump administration has designated as global terrorist organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel.
- The extraditions come after months of pressure from Trump, who has threatened to hit Mexico with hefty tariffs if Mexican officials don't do enough to stop the flow of drugs.
Yes, but: Mexican citizens see threats of military strikes on Mexican soil as an invasion with deep historical context — the U.S. invaded Mexico in 1846 and took half of its territory, which now makes up most of the Southwestern U.S.
- Some Republicans in Congress, like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), are demanding that Mexico aggressively tackle cartels like El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has done with Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
Reality check: The Sinaloa Cartel is an international, multimillion-dollar criminal organization with armed protection, and its reach extends all over the Americas.
- MS-13 is a street gang that focuses on small towns and urban areas with very little organized international influence, Lidia E. Nuño, a Texas State University criminology professor and MS-13 expert, told Axios.
Bottom line: Sheinbaum faces limits on how accommodating she can be to Trump, who is known in parts of Mexico as "el viejo" (the old one) and is unpopular for his past racist comments about Mexicans.
- At the same time, Sheinbaum is trying to stave off any new tariffs, which would severely damage Mexico's economy — and spark new migration to the U.S.
